Value Chain Analysis of the cattle sector in Bobonaro and Lautem

districts, Timor-Leste

Report on

OBusiness Opportunities and Support Services

Ministry of Economy and Development

Abbreviations......................................................................................................................................11. BACKGROUND..................................................................................................................................21. 1. Background information of the cattle value chain initiative...........................................................21. 2. Justification of selection of the cattle sector..................................................................................21. 3. Objectives of the value chain analysis in cattle sector....................................................................31.4. Background information about the cattle sector in Timor Leste.....................................................3

1.4.1. Cattle sector in Bobonaro district....................................................................................41.4.2. Cattle sector in Lautem district.......................................................................................4

2. VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT APPROACH........................................................................................53. THE FINDINGS..................................................................................................................................7

3.1. The cattle value chain map.................................................................................................73.2. Present situation of actors and supporting services in the Cattle Value Chain.....................8

3.2.1. Input suppliers....................................................................................................83.2.2. Cattle Farmers....................................................................................................93.2.3. Collectors...........................................................................................................93.2.4. Slaughter / Processor........................................................................................103.2.5. Exporters (Former Exporters)...........................................................................103.2.6. Supporting service providers............................................................................11

3.3. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats at different levels of the cattle value chain.....133.4. Main constraints in the cattle value chain....................................................................................153.5. Cattle value chain development proposals..................................................................................164. OUTCOMES OF THE NATIONAL WORKSHOP....................................................................................19

4.1. National workshop..........................................................................................................194.2. VCD task force..................................................................................................................19

5. CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED..........................................................................................206. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOLLOW UP ACTIONS...........................................................................207. REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................21

Contents

Abbreviations

BOSS Business Opportunities and Support Services

CCT Coffee Cooperative of Timor Leste

CGE Cabinet for Gender Equality

GAHP Good Animal Husbandry Practices

HH Household

IADE Institute for Business Support

ILO International Labour Organization

MAF Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

MED Ministry of Economy and Development

MOJ Ministry of Justice

NDRED National Directorate for Rural Economic Development

NGO Non Governmental Organization

RDP3 Rural Development Programme 3

SPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary

UNTL National University of Timor Leste

VC Value Chain

VCA Value Chain Analysis

VCD Value Chain Development

VLW Village Livestock Workers

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1. BACKGROUND

1.1. Background information of the cattle value chain initiative

The ILO's Business Opportunities and Support Services (BOSS) project, which resort under the Ministry of Economy and Development (MED), initiated a participatory value chain analysis using the ILO approach to Value Chain Development for Decent Work. The cattle sector in Lautem and Bobonaro districts had been selected by the District Economic Forum as the most potential sector for creating more income and employment opportunities for the poor communities in these districts.

Accordingly, the BOSS project trained a team of selected staff

from National Directorate of Rural Economic Development (NDRED), the

Institute for Business Support (IADE) and the Cabinet for Gender Equality (CGE) of MED in participatory

value chain development and conducted value chain analysis of the cattle sector in Bobonaro and Lautem district. The research team also

included representatives from district level Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery (MAF) and Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Timor Leste (CCI-TL). The sense of ownership and commitment to implementing consequent interventions increases by involving the stakeholders in the whole research process. The exercise began in early August 2011, and was completed in mid-September 2011.

1.2. Justification of selection of the cattle sector

The cattle sector is a sub-sector of the livestock sector, which falls under the agriculture sector in broader economic terms. Raising cattle is one of the most traditional livelihood activities in Timor Leste. In the country as a whole, 31% of households own cattle. The cattle sector is important particularly to the rural poor households owing to the following reasons:

?Cattle provide income and hold potential for increasing the household income?Cattle is an asset that is kept for ceremonial purposes or sold in situation of cash emergency

requirements?Cattle can be raised without advanced technology?There are large areas of natural pasture lands

In keeping with the objectives of the project as well as the VCD philosophy, the selection of the cattle sector in Bobonaro and Lautem districts can be justified on the basis of the below:

?Involvement of rural / poor households is considerably high in the sector?It is a common small scale livelihood option in the districts?Presence of a clear value chain?Input resources, particularly grass lands are adequately available within the selected districts ?There are opportunities for both export and expanding local market?There is ample scope for improvements

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1.3. Objectives of the value chain analysis of the cattle sector

The main objectives of the value chain analysis in the cattle sector in Bobonaro and Lautem districts are:

1. To get an overall understanding of the value chain including number and type of players

involved at each level of the cattle value chain, relationship between actors and governance

structure2. To analyze and map the value chain for a more comprehensive understanding of constraints

and their root causes, market failures and dysfunctionalities in the value chain3. To identify specific upgrading interventions that are feasible by using available local resources,

that can be easily implemented in short and medium term, as well as solutions that give an

overall sustainable direction to the cattle sector

The value chain development initiative will increase the capacity of NDRED and IADE in making

thorough sector analysis and design interventions to develop the value chain. IADE will also be able to

design business development services responding to the specific needs of the sector.

1.4. Background information about the cattle sector in Timor Leste

1In 2010, the estimated number of cattle in Timor Leste was 161,654 heads . The sector comprises

mainly of smallholders keeping on average two to five heads each. There are 206,000 ha of natural

grazing land in the country, which is mostly unutilized. Grazing is mostly on communal land pastures

and crop residues. Cattle are kept primarily for status and consumption at traditional ceremonies

rather than for commercial purposes. Most farmers keep cattle to sell for cash in emergency, e.g. as a

bank saving. The local market for beef is growing, an estimated 20 -30 heads are slaughtered per day in

Dili (approximately 9,000 per year) at 10 slaughtering points located in the capital. The average retail

price of local beef is around USD 6 per kg. About 200 Mt of frozen beef is imported annually, mainly

from Australia and New Zealand and sold at USD 8-12 per kg. Import substitution potential equals 21,400 local cattle annually . Traditionally, Timor Leste has been a cattle exporting country, in 2005 the

export of male live bulls to Indonesia reached approximately 3,000 heads but this has decreased since

and in 2010, only 643 heads went for export. In 2011, the export stopped completely. Concurrently,

Indonesia imports more than 750,000 live cattle per year from Australia. Figure – 1 below shows the

export volume of live cattle for the last four years.

1 Population and Housing Census of Timor-Leste, 20102 Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS), 2010

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1.4.1. Cattle sector in Bobonaro district

Bobonaro district is located in the western most part of the island, approximately 149 km by road west

of the capital Dili. It occupies 1.376 km2, and extends nearly 100 km from north (the coast) to south,

following the border between Indonesia and East Timor. It consists of six sub-districts with 50 villages

(sucos). The district capital, Maliana, is the 3rd biggest city (15.800 inhabitants) after Dili and Baucau.

The population of Bobonaro district is 92.049 (2010). Bobonaro is the neighboring district to

Indonesia, the former main importer of cattle from TL. Bobonaro is among the top three districts in

Timor Leste that are most suitable for livestock. It is estimated that 88.8% of households involved in 3livestock raising . Cattle, mainly the Balinese breed, is the main livestock type with 29,235 heads,

representing 18% of the national count, There is 18,061 ha of native pasture land in Bobonaro district.

1.4.2. Cattle sector in Lautem district

Lautem district is on the eastern end of the island and has five sub-districts comprising 34 villages

(sucos). It occupies 1.702 km and is located approximately 215 km by road east of the capital Dili. The

population in Lautem district is 59,787 and 84% of the households are involved in rearing livestock.

Lautem has large natural pasture areas (39,994 ha) where animals traditionally forage. It has 16,874 4cattle . It is an important district for livestock, exporting to Dili and other nearby districts of the

country.

Bobonaro and Lautem districts together account for one fourth of pasture lands and cattle population

of the country. It is graphically illustrated in Figure – 2 below.

Figure – 1: Cattle Export to Indonesia

3Population and Housing Census of Timor-Leste, 2010 4Population and Housing Census of Timor-Leste, 2010

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2. VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT

A value chain is defined as a sequence of target-oriented combinations of production factors that

create a marketable product or service from its conception to the final consumption. This includes

activities such as design, production, marketing, distribution and support services up to the final 5consumer . The activities that comprise a value chain can be contained within a single firm or divided

among different firms, as well as within a single geographical location or spread over wider areas. The

term Value Chain refers to the fact that value is added to preliminary products through the

combination of other resources (for example tools, manpower, knowledge and skills, other raw

materials or preliminary products). As the product passes through several stages of the value chain,

the value of the product increases.

Value chain development is about making the consumer/customer at the end of the chain happy. If

enterprises cannot satisfy the needs (or requirements, preferences, desires) of their buyers, the

buyers will sooner or later turn to other suppliers. Value chain development is therefore a market-

oriented approach. All activities of a particular chain are directed towards the market. It is therefore

important to understand that all stakeholders along a particular value chain need to cooperate and

coordinate their activities to satisfy the needs of the end consumer. If there is one weak link in the

chain, the competitiveness of the whole value chain is endangered. It is not only enterprise-internal

factors (such as labour costs and productivity) that matter to make a sector more competitive, but also

factors related to the business environment eg. duration of getting required license or permits, taxes,

administrative procedures etc., and availability and accessibility to various business development

services required for the smooth functioning of the value chain. Figure – 3 below shows the

relationship among these functions.

5Local Value Chain Development for Decent Work – Matthias Herr

Figure – 2: Cattle population & pasture lands

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Taking a value chain approach to economic development and poverty reduction (that includes

creation of Decent Jobs) involves addressing major constraints and capitalizing on opportunities faced

by input suppliers, producers, processors, traders and other businesses at multiple levels and points

along a given value chain. This will inevitably include a wide range of activities such as improving

access to necessary inputs, developing the capacity and skills of human resources, improving working

conditions and productivity, strengthening the delivery of business and financial services, enabling

the flow of information, facilitating improved market access, or increasing access to higher-value

markets or value-added products. Value Chain Analysis identifies opportunities and constraints of a

particular local/regional sector and analysis its market integration. The end result is an action plan

that proposes various solutions addressing identified opportunities and constraints.

ILO's participatory value chain development approach consists of a series of workshops, interviews

and focus group discussions, in which all value chain stakeholders are included. This participatory

approach is complemented by secondary research to underpin the findings with data and figures. The

approach consists of the following modules:

Figure - 3: Market System Source: Springfield Centre

Figure – 4: Participatory VCD Process

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3. THE FINDINGS OF THE VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS

This section reports mainly on the findings of the field research and the

assessment of the cattle value chain in the two districts and the

outcome of the stakeholder workshops.

3.1. The cattle value chain map

Five levels can be identified in the main cattle value chain in the

two districts:1. Input supply

2. Cattle farming / production

3. Collecting and transporting4. Processing (slaughtering & butchering)5. Marketing / selling

Figure 1.2 illustrates the simple value chain of the cattle sector in Lautem district. The value chain map

of the Bobonaro district was very similar to that of Lautem.

Figure – 5: Simple Value Chain map of cattle sector in Lautem district

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VCD result workshop

3.2. Present situation of actors and supporting services in the cattle value chain

The value chain map illustrates six groups of actors, including the exporters that until last year were

active in the sector. The following section summarizes the present situation of each level in the

districts.

3.2.1. Input suppliers

Main inputs in the cattle sector are; 1) calves, 2) cattle feed (grass, legumes, concentrate feed, mineral

mixtures), 3) medicine and vaccine, 4) tools and other equipments (equipments needed for

slaughtering and butchering, ropes, etc.).

1) Calves:There are no formal breeding farms and regular calves suppliers at present. Few medium-scale

farmers supply limited number of calves intermittently when there is a demand from MAF or

NGOs. MAF distributes calves to some selected poor farmers for free, and a few NGOs have

distributed calves in several places under various donor funded projects.

2) Cattle feed:Most of the farmers let their cattle graze freely and unrestricted on natural pasture lands, only few

farmers grow limited amount of Elephant grass (Pusa giant napier) to feed their cattle during the

dry season. The growing of Elephant grass was introduced to farmers during the Indonesian period

and later by NGOs and the Don Bosco Fuiloro school in Lospalos. However, it has not been as

successful as foreseen due to various reasons including lack of demand from other farmers to buy

it and limited understanding of the benefit of feeding the cattle with the grass. Only very few cattle

collectors who do fattening buy grass from nearby grass land owners at the price of USD 70 – 80

per hectare. There is no practice of feeding cattle with concentrate feeds or mineral mixtures and

hence there are no suppliers of such inputs at present. Plenty of pasture lands are available, but

underutilized and degraded to some extent due to weeds (eg. Chromolena odorata) and lack of

water in the dry season.

3) Medicine and vaccine:There are three private sector medicine suppliers in Dili, and the Veterinary Association in Lautem district that is supplying limited stock of medicine. The only supplier for vaccine is the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF). The Ministry imports vaccines and distributes through their district offices once a year, district offices contract the service of Village Livestock Workers (VLW) to vaccinate the cattle. MAF spends $ 0.14 per dose of vaccine and $ 0.15 per dose to pay for the VLWs. Generally, vaccination should be done once in nine months, but it happens once a year at present. The Ministry has reduced the import of vaccine by 50% this year due to budgetary constraints, it is estimated that the supply of vaccine in 2011 is sufficient only for 50,000 cattle. At present The Government's annual vaccination programme reaches only 30-40 per cent of the cattle population, to have any effect at least 80 per cent must be vaccinated. Spread of cattle diseases is high during the rainy season from November to April, therefore, vaccination should be completed before the rainy season starts, and it fails sometimes due to delay in supply of vaccine on time. Another reason for the inefficient outreach of the vaccination is that Village Livestock Workers lack both resources and incentives to implement the campaign fully.

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3.2.2. Cattle Farmers

The majority of cattle farmers owns 2-5 heads, there are about 30-40 farmers per district having

approximately 50 -100 cattle and 8 -10 farmers having more than 100

heads. There are small farmer groups in some villages and

there is an active farmer cooperative headed by a woman

in Lolotoe sub-district in Bobonaro. Nearly all the

farmers practice free grazing on natural pasture lands

for their cattle. Many farmers do not consider raising

cattle as a business but rather as an asset to be sold in a

situation of cash emergency requirements. The most

common cattle breed is Balinese cattle, which is well

adapted to the climate of Timor Leste and easy to handle. The

productivity of the sector is very low, farmers use traditional

knowledge and lack understanding about more modern good agricultural practices. The cow does not

calve annually and it takes over five years to grow a bull to 280 -300 kg weight, when the animal can be

sold. A grown bull is sold at USD400 – 500 at village level, and at around USD600 in Dili. The price of a

grown cow is USD300 – 400. Because of the limited outreach of vaccination and bad nutrition, cattle

diseases and mortality have become a key issue. Abortions and calf mortality also remains at a high

level. A recent study conducted by the Susubeen project (Xanana Trust Fund/USAID) found that out of

a sample of 16 Bali cattle, 69% tested positive for Brucellosis.

3.2.3. Collectors

There are about 6 – 8, all men, local collectors in each of the two districts, they buy live cattle (mainly

grown bulls) from farmers and sell to buyers in Dili or at times to the buyers from Indonesia (some

informal export take place along the borders of Bobonaro, particularly during Muslim festive season).

In addition, about 4-5 collectors from Dili or nearby district (Baucau in the case of Lautem) come to the

districts to buy cattle from farmers or from the local collectors. Some collectors do fattening of cattle

over a period of 2-4 weeks before selling. However, both buying and selling are based on the

appearance of the animal instead of weight and therefore, the motivation to do fattening is limited.

Some local collectors also do the slaughtering and sell meat in the local market. Local collectors supply

cattle only to one or two reliable and known buyers in Dili as sales take place mainly on credit. Lack of

access to credit has resulted in cash flow problem among collectors/buyers and has limited their

buying capacity as farmers are reluctant to sell if not being paid directly. A few years ago some of these

local collectors could sell over 100 heads per month to Indonesian buyers, which came to a complete

halt in 2011 because of the Indonesian import ban on Timor Leste cattle. Collectors sell about 15 -20

heads per month to Dili buyers at present. Collectors in Bobonaro district hire trucks to transport the

cattle to Dili, a truck can transport 8-10 heads per trip, which cost USD 100 -150. There are three

specialized cattle transporters in Lautem district, they have good relationship with local collectors and

buyers in Dili, and they operate 2-3 times per month and charge USD 250 per trip. The transport cost is

reported high due to bad road conditions and the long distance.

“Over 400 cattle of our cooperative members died from diseases last year, it happens every year between November and March” – Farmer cooperative, Lolotoe, Bobonaro District.

Cattle farmers in Bobonaro

3.2.4. Processor / slaughtering and butchering

There is no proper national slaughter house

or processing plant at present, however

MAF is currently rehabilitating the abattoir

in Tibar, close to Dili. There are about 10

slaughter points in Dili and three meat markets

(Talibessi, Hali Laran and Comoro) where the

equivalence of about 20 -30 cattle are sold daily. There are

twelve slaughter entrepreneurs, including women, in

Bobonaro and four in Lautem district. In Lautem there is a

slaughter place at the back of the main market. In Bobonaro the slaughtering

takes place at the homes of the slaughterers. The slaughter place in Lautem is

relatively new but mismanaged, it is unhygienic and there is no water or electricity. Slaughtering is

done only on Saturdays on the market day. In Lautem about 2-3 cattle per week is slaughtered and in

Bobonaro 2-3 cattle are slaughtered per day. Meat is sold at the price of USD5 – 6 per kg, bones at

USD2.50 to the restaurants in the town and directly to the customers in the market. There are about 3-

4 restaurants in each district that serve beef dishes, which buy about 20 kg of beef per week. Skins /

hides are dried and sold to buyers in Dili who export

them to Indonesia. Prices of hides were sold USD

0.80 per kg by slaughters in Bobonaro while the

price in Lautem was USD 1.50 per kg.

3.2.5. Exporters (Former Exporters)

Before the ban on cattle export to Indonesia, there

were three main live cattle exporters in the country,

CCT, Rui Nainou and Joao Berloco. The last consignment was

reported in August 2010. In addition, there were a few district based exporters, whose export licenses

now have expired. However, informal export continues along the border of Bobonaro district,

particularly during the Muslim festive season.

“My cattle export to Indonesia slowed down in 2005, before that I could easily send cattle across to Atambua twice a month, about 80 to 100 cattle each time.” (Cattle exporter – “The Jakarta Globe – February 06, 2011”)

Slaughter of cattle behind Comoro market, Dili

Beef selling point in Maliana market

cattle exporter being interviewed by the team

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3.2.6. Supporting service providers:

1) Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF)The Livestock National Directorate of MAF provides extension and vaccination services to cattle

farmers through their District Livestock Officers. In addition, MAF occasionally distributes cattle to

selected poor households. The generic Agriculture extension officers are supposed to provide

extension services to the cattle sector as well. MAF has planned to implement a pilot program to

promote cultivation of grass with the support from Plan International and Korean Government.

MAF is also piloting new vaccination model with the support of RDP3 in Manufahi.

2) Village Livestock Workers (VLW)

Village Livestock Workers are self-employed individuals contracted by

MAF to carry out the annual vaccination programme. In 2007, they were

given a one-two weeks training on livestock vaccination and treatment

of diseases. At the end of the training they were given a set of tools and

medicines. They are to make an income by providing treatment and

medicine. However, they are referred to as “volunteers” and face many

difficulties in performing their tasks. MAF assigned one VLW per Suco,

some continue, some already stopped, others were absorbed by MAF

and became Agriculture Extensionists. Accordingly, there are only a few

active VLWs, for instance there is only one VLW in the Lolotoe sub-

district with seven Sucos. In Lautem, there are 20 VLWs but only a few

are active at present.

3) Livestock AssociationThe VLWs in Lautem district have established the Livestock Association with the support of and

NGO. The association is at present registered as a NGO and not as an association as they have had

trouble registering properly with Ministry of Justice (MOJ). They provide selected medicines and

disease treatment to livestock farmers, and they involve in implementing the vaccination program

of the Government. Further, they have conducted training programmes for cattle farmers with the

support of NGOs.

4) Non-Government-Organizations (NGO) and ChurchA number of NGOs, (eg. World Vision, CARE International, Concern (now HIVOS) implement

different activities for cattle farmers. World Vision and CARE have purchased calves and given

them to farmers for fattening. HIVOS is working on improving cattle productivity by for example

introducing Elephant grass production.

“We are paid only 15 cents per cattle vaccinated and many farmers are not committed to vaccinate their cattle” – a VLW in Bobonaro District

Mr. Acio Pereira Lima (VLW in Lautem)

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5) Coffee Cooperative of Timor (CCT)CCT were one of the main cattle exporters to Indonesia and implemented a cattle fattening

programme in selected districts. With the halt of export, they have largely down-scaled their

activities in the cattle sector. They supply about 10 bulls per month to slaughters in Dili. They are

no more operating in Lautem but still in Cova Lima and Oecusse. CCT buys bulls at about 100 – 150

kg and give to selected farmers for fattening. CCT then re-purchase the bulls once they grow to

about 250 – 300 kg and sell. 75% of the selling price goes to the farmer who raised the animal.

6) National University of Timor Leste (UNTL) - Agriculture FacultyThe faculty of Agriculture of UNTL offers a 3-years Diploma course in Animal Health to develop the

required human resources for the livestock sector. Their intake is 35 students per year and the first

batch of student will complete their course end 2012. In addition, they enroll about 400 students

in the five year Degree Course in Agriculture, of which 120 students specialized in livestock in

2010. Both courses have practical training as part of their last semester, and students are placed in

Hera Farm or other selected farms.

7) Financial service providersAccess to financial services is needed for the value chain actors in the cattle sector, to support

cattle raising and the supply of cattle and cattle products to the market making the transition from

subsistence cattle farming. Particularly, the collectors who purchase grown cattle from farmers

suffer from cash flow problem.

The overall access to finance in Timor Laste has grown steadily since independence, from

complete destruction of all access points in 1999 to an estimated 13% financial inclusion in 2009.

Coverage is moderate; 38% of the population has a bank or MFI branch in their sub district. There

are three foreign-owned banks, one Timorese (government- owned) bank, two microfinance

institutions (Tuba Rai Metin and Moris Rasik), approximately 25 credit unions of varying degrees of

development, Western Union, and an array of pawn shops offering retail financial services. There

is a potentially large unmet demand for microfinance with market size estimates of between

275,000 and 400,000 clients. However, effective demand is probably lower given the slow growth 6of established providers and current poor state of infrastructure .

THE GENDER DIMENSION OF THE CATTLE SECTOR

The cattle sector in Timor Leste is dominated by men, they constitute the

majority of small, medium and large farmers, and most collectors and

processors are men. Although the cattle is a household asset, the animal is

considered the possession of men. This is demonstrated by the difficulties of

finding women to interview among farmers (not even 10% of respondent).

In the cattle sector female actors are 'invisible'. They are involved in several activities which add value

to the chain but their work is neither acknowledged nor paid. Indeed, interview showed that women

are usually involved in activities such as feeding and taking care of the animals. However, their key role

is described as assisting men ('ajuda”). Female family members also perform accounting and financial

activities assisting their fathers/husband/brothers in cattle marketing/selling.

6 http://www.bwtp.org/files/BWTP%20Industry Update%201%20-%20Microfinance%20in%20Timor-Leste.pdf

12

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There are few women entrepreneurs involved in slaughtering and retail and about 20% of VLWs are

women.

The control over income generated from cattle seemed to be fully with men. Only one leading role was

found in the short field research and it was the Manager of the Farmer Cooperative in Lolote sub-

district in Bobonaro, as she plays a good leadership role in the cooperative.

DECENT WORK DEFICIT

The existing employment arrangements in the cattle sector are highly informal. Majority of actors in

the sector being micro or small scale, use their own family labour. Children are involved in the sector,

looking after the rummaging cattle herds. The work of the children were described as not interfering

with school, as caring for cattle was after-school activity for most. There were anecdotal stories of

children being harmed, for example one child was collecting leaves off a tree, to feed the cattle, when

he feel down and sustained fatal injuries.

The limited availability and outreach of training and skills development for farmers inhibits the

development of the sector. In regard to occupational health and safety, the highest risk for injuries is

found in the slaughtering process both in the handling of the cattle and the beef. Limited concern with

hygiene is also a concern not only for the processors but also for the consumers.

3.3. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats at different levels of the cattle value chain

The following table summarizes Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities (SWOT) that were

identified as a result of the VCD exercise for every level of the cattle value chain.

Value Chain level Strengths & Weaknesses Opportunities & Threats

Strengths:?Availability of natural pasture lands?Availability of well adapted Balinese cattle?Availability of Napier grass (Elephant

grass)?Availability of private medicine suppliers

in Dili?Veterinary Association and VLWs

Opportunities:?To setup breeding farms & supply calves?To expand the cultivation of elephant

grass ?Farmers are willing to pay for medicine

Weaknesses:?Lack of medicine and veterinary

knowledge at district level ?Lack / insufficient supply of medicine and

vaccine ?Lack of cattle crush to restrain animals for

vaccination ?Low commitment of farmers to vaccinate?Shortage of cattle feed in dry season?Insufficient number and outreach of VLWs

/ low motivation of VLW?Lack of equal distribution of resources

and income among women and men

Threats:?Decrease quality of calves due to

inbreeding and sell-off of the best bulls?Degradation of pasture lands?Spread of cattle disease, eg. Septicemia

haemorrhagic is endemic to the country, leading to increasing cattle mortality

Input supply

Value Chain level Strengths & Weaknesses Opportunities & Threats

Strengths:?Government is committed to developing

the sector?Agriculture University, agriculture degree

and animal health diploma course exist?Existing cattle farm cooperatives / groups?Availability of land and labour

Weaknesses:?Inadequate extension and veterinary

services ?Low productivity linked to lack of

knowledge/skills?Poor access to information and training?Farmers lack of business orientation,

cattle are kept for traditional ceremonies rather than for business

?Lack of access to market information, high illiteracy and lack of role models

?Lack of proper disease control mechanism

Strengths:?Availability of experienced collectors?Availability of established transporters

Strengths:?Government commitment to establish

abattoir at national level

Weaknesses:?Lack of sufficient demand with the halt in

export, lack of market information and access to alternative markets

?Lack of transport facilities, poor road condition leading to high transport cost

?Weak access to credit / Micro Finance?Price is based on the appearance of the

animal not the weight?Lack of cattle market/collection point in

districts and sub-districts

Weaknesses:?Lack of proper slaughter houses?Bad conditions in present slaughter

places, no water, no electricity, lack of required tools and equipments

?Lack of modern slaughtering and butchering techniques, knowledge and skills

?Lack of legislation and system to ensure the beef quality through inspection and enforcement of law

Threats:?Increasing cattle prices

Threats:?No veterinary check of animal before and

after slaughter and low hygiene handling the meat lead to health risk for consumers

Opportunities:?To increase productivity of farms through

further improved farming practices ?Development of the sector will

contribute to increase in income and jobs

Threats:?Spread of cattle diseases, increase

infertility and mortality

Opportunities:?Increasing local demand?Promotion of cattle fattening

Opportunities:?High potential for profitable slaughter and

processing business? Potential for import substitution

Cattle Farming

Collection & Transportation

Slaughtering / processing

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Value Chain level Strengths & Weaknesses Opportunities & Threats

Strengths:?Availability of an established distribution

network?Existing supermarkets that today sell

imported beef

Weaknesses:?Lack of SPS certification facilities?Low beef quality / hygiene ?High price of cattle and beef ?Lack of proper retail facilities at district

level

Opportunities:?Potential to re-activate export?Potential to expand local market and

substitute imported meat

Threats:?Competition from beef importers

Marketing

Figure – 6: Main constraints in the cattle value chain

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3.4. Main constraints in the cattle value chain

Main constraints in the cattle value chain according to the market system is illustrated in the Figure – 6 below.

3.5. Cattle value chain development proposals

Based on the research findings, a number of interventions were identified to improve the

competitiveness of the sector. Successful implementation of these interventions will have positive

impact on the growth of the sector, the income of the cattle farmers and generate new jobs for women

and men in the sector.

The BOSS project will not intervene in all of the below listed interventions. Following the result

presentation, the project will make a detailed activity plan. BOSS will coordinate and liaison with other

organizations supporting the sector to ensure maximum synergies and also look to attract new

organizations/actors into supporting the sector.

These are the four intervention areas and main activities:

1) Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the veterinary service and availability of inputs

- Recruit regional veterinarians and establish regional veterinary centers- Train Village Livestock Workers (VLW) and Extension Officers on production of cattle

food (forage, silage, etc), cattle health and reproduction- Launch an information campaign on diseases and treatment- Promote establishment of breeding farms

Shortage of feed in dry season, cattle diseases, infertility and mortality has become key constraints

that hinder the growth of the sector. One of the root causes of this situation is inadequate veterinary

and extension services in the districts. The implementation of above proposals will help to minimize

cattle deaths due to diseases and to improve the productivity of cattle farming.

2) Improve farmers knowledge and skills on proper methods of raising cattle and promote them becoming more business oriented

- Develop Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP)- Develop training material based on GAHP- Train extension staff and VLW on cattle feed/ fattening- Implement information campaign on GAHP (video, radio, TV)- Establish model farms and link with practical training for students of the Agriculture

University - Train VLWs and farmers on business management - Implement a social marketing campaign to promote cattle farmers to become more

business oriented.

Lack of business orientation among farmers, low productivity linked to lack of knowledge/skills, poor

access to information and training and inadequate extension service are major constraints at the

farmer level of the cattle value chain. Implementation of these activities will lead to improved

knowledge and skills among farmers so that they apply good cattle farming practices. Business

orientation of cattle farmers in addition to improving their knowledge and skills is vital to improve the

productivity and competitiveness of the sector and to achieve the expected outcome of higher

income and more jobs in the sector.

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3) Improve the quality and productivity of slaughtering and meat processing

- Rehabilitate the abattoir in Tibar and improve the conditions of district slaughter

houses- Set up inspection system to control the quality of meat- Train slaughters and butchers on:

?Modern slaughtering and butchering techniques?Business management ?Health and sanitation

- Pass and implement legislation on meat quality standards

Lack of proper slaughter and retail facilities, poor slaughtering and butchering practices, and low

concern for quality and hygiene limits the potential to eventually substitute imported beef with locally

produced. Value chain actors involved in slaughtering, butchering and retailing have limited technical

and business management skills. Further, the lack of legislation and inspection system causes low

quality and hygiene, without standards people will not change their current practice. The expected

impact of above activities will be availability of quality meat in the market that leads to higher demand

for local beef and hence growth of the sector.

4) Re-activate export of live cattle to Indonesia

- Establish Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) certification facilities- Improve the capacity of the national laboratory to diagnose cattle diseases- Map existing cattle diseases in the country- Establish trade agreement with Indonesia

The ban on import of cattle from Timor Leste to Indonesia is due to lack of Sanitary and Phytosanitary

(SPS) certification. This has negatively impacted on the business of main exporters, the district

collectors and the income of cattle farmers. The local demand is still not sufficient to absorb the supply

of bulls. Therefore, re-activating the cattle export will be an important factor to realize all the other

interventions as the pulling-effect of the export market is an important motivator for farmers to

increase their productivity.

5) Access to finance- Collaborate with Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) to develop credit model preliminary

offered to collectors and slaughterhouse owner/managers- Explore the possibility to extend the credit model to farmers

The need for credit is especially evident among cattle collectors. Improving their cash flow would

result in more cattle being bought and farmers paid cash up-front. Collectors would also not have to

depend on a few buyers for providing cash.

Finally, the overall focus of the proposed interventions is to improve the market system of the cattle

value chain in whole, the link between the proposed interventions and the key elements of market

system is illustrated in Figure – 7 & Figure – 8 below.

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Finally, the overall focus of the proposed interventions is to improve the market system of the cattle

value chain in whole, the link between the proposed interventions and the key elements of market

system is illustrated in Figure – 7 & Figure – 8 below.

Figure - 7: Solutions in the cattle value chain – input & farmers

Figure – 8: Solutions in the cattle value chain - marketing

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4. OUTCOMES OF THE NATIONAL WORKSHOP

4.1. National workshopThe result of the research was firstly presented in respective district and consequently at national

level. The objective of the national presentation was to:

• Present the result of the research from two districts to national level stakeholders • Validate the findings and get stakeholders feedback on proposed interventions• Seek support in implementing the proposed solutions • Facilitate linkages between stakeholders

The workshop was chaired by the Minister of Economy and Development and was attended by key

national and district level stakeholders relevant to the development of cattle sector, including the

Secretary of State for Livestock (MAF), Vice-President of Chamber of Commerce and Industry TL,

District Administrator of Lautem, President of CCI Bobonaro and other relevant government

authorities, private sector value chain actors, non-governmental organizations and development

organizations.

The presentation included an outline of the theoretical framework used in the research, defining

value chain and the market system. It was followed by a short overview of the cattle sector in Timor

Leste and the presentation of the main opportunities, constraints and solutions found in the sector.The presentation was followed by a session of feedback, suggestions and comments of the

participants for validation of findings and further development of proposals (for full account of the

issues discussed, refer to annex 1).

Many of the participants expressed positive opinions about the event, the result and the high

commitment from MED, the Secretary of State for Livestock, CCI-TL and district representatives.

4.2. VCD task force On the initiative of the Secretary of State for Livestock, a time bound (initially 1 year) Task Force (TF)

was formed to coordinate activities by actors involved in the cattle sector including Government,

relevant local actors and projects (see annex 2 for TOR). This group is to meet regularly to follow up on

the planning and implementation of activities of Task Force members.

The initial members of the Task Force are:

i. Director of Livestock (MAF)ii. DNREDiii. IADEiv. ILO BOSS projectv. HIVOSvi. GIZvii. District representatives – Lautem APS association and Livestock Officer MAF, Bobonaro

Livestock Officer MAF

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5. CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the VCD exercise and the stakeholder workshops were successful. Cattle sector stakeholders showed a high interest, participation and acceptance of the VCD initiative. The proposals, resulting from the research, include a mix of relatively short-term and easy to implement, and longer term and more complex activities. Most of the proposals are directed at enhancing the productivity of the private sector, particularly at farmer level. Improved productivity will lead to increased income of cattle farmers and the creation of jobs in the sector.

However, although a session on gender and VC was included in the training and members of the CGE assisted the research team in the districts, the main focus of the VC research was based on understanding opportunities and obstacles linked to productivity in the cattle sectors, and the coverage of gender aspects in the field research as well as in the analysis seemed not sufficient and needs further investigations.

In conclusion, the VCD exercise was successful in disclosing key constraints and developing proposals to respond to those and particularly to bring stakeholders together to discuss the state of the cattle sector and agree on the need for join actions that will contribute to the development of the sector.

6. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOLLOW UP ACTIONS

Following recommendations are made for way forward:

I. The analysis of the findings and proposed solutions should be further reviewed and revised based on the comments, feedback and inputs of stakeholders in the national workshop

II. The first VCD Task Force (TF) meeting should be organized shortly. The VCD report should be shared with members prior to the meeting.

III. The BOSS project should facilitate regular TF meetings to ensure the coordination and monitoring of implementation of sector specific activities. However, the facilitation role should gradually be transferred to a suitable stakeholder to continue TF meetings for a sufficient period of time.

IV. A joint intervention framework along with resource pooling and timelines have to be developed in order to proceed with specific activity planning

V. MED and MAF should lead actions to develop and implement proposed legislations and trade negotiations to re-activate the export.

VI. Proper monitoring and documentation system for value chain development activities should be established for the project.

VII. The strategy should consider the gender dimension of the sector and design interventions which take into account the different needs and roles of women and men by promoting equal opportunities for both sexes.

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7. REFERENCES

1. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Agriculture: New Directions for a New Nation - East Timor (Timor-Leste), Canberra, 2003, Proceedings of a Workshop 1–3 October 2002

2. International Labour Organization, Local Value Chain Development for Decent Work – An operational guide, Sri Lanka 2008, ISBN: 978-92-2-120878-5.

3. Ministry of Finance, Directorate of Statistics, Timor-Leste in Figures 2009, Timor Leste, 2009

4. National Directorate for Rural Economic Development, District Economic Brief – Lautem, and District Economic Brief – Bobonaro Timor Leste, 2011

5. National Statistics Directorate, Population and Housing Census of Timor-Leste, 2010

6. World Bank Expanding Timor-Leste's Near-Term Non-Oil Exports - Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS), Timor Leste, 2010

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Annex 1

Meeting minutes

PRESENTATION EVENT OF CATTLE VALUE CHAIN RESEARCH RESULT

Date: 26 September, 2011 (1/2 day)Venue: Hotel Arbiru Number of participants: 51 - Women: 19, Men: 32

Summary of the event The event was organized by ILO and the NDRED and chaired by the Minister of Economy and

Development. At the table of honor, in addition to the Minister, were seated the Secretary of State for

Livestock, Vice-President of Chamber of Commerce and Industry TL (CCI-TL), District Administrator of

Lautem, President of CCI Bobonaro and BOSS CTA. The purpose of the event was to present the result

of the cattle value chain research that was conducted in Bobonaro and Lautem districts recently,

validate the result and get commitment from participants to involve in up-grading activities.

The presentation began with outlining the theoretical framework used in the research, defining value

chain and the market system. It was followed by a short overview of the cattle sector in Timor Leste

and then the presentation of the main opportunities, constraints and solutions.

Following the presentation the participants had the following questions and comments:

1. Cipriano Correia (MTCI-Export Department):

?Concerned that many cattle and calves die during raining season.

?Government should create a good policy to protect cattle farmers.

?It is necessary to show the farmers the benefits (weight) of using modern techniques raising

cattle compared with traditional methods.

Agenda

08.30 – 09.00

09.00 – 09.05

09.05 – 09.20

09.20 – 09.25

09.25 – 09.40

09.40 – 09.50

09.50 – 10.15

10.15 – 10.30

10.30 -10.45

10.45 -11.30

11.30 – 11.50

11.50 – 12.00

Registration of participants

Welcome address – Hermes da Rosa Correia Barros, Director of NDRED

Speech by João Mendes Gonçalves, Minister of Economy and Development

Objectives of the workshop

Introduction to Value Chain Development

Cattle Sector in East Timor - an overview with focus on Bobonaro & Lautem districts

Presentations of the value chain map, market system, opportunities & constraints

Tea / Coffee Break

Suggested solutions / interventions

Stakeholders feedback / comments

Way forward

Closing Remarks

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?Improve meat quality for export.

?Establish rules and regulations to sell meat.

Answers:Minister MED, Sec.State for Livestock, J.C.Sequeira

?Cattle die from several reasons: late or nil vaccination, insufficient food and other diseases.

?Livestock legislation is still to be approved by the Council of Ministers.

?Establish collection points for cattle with weighing facilities and support model farms as an example

to be followed by other farmers.

?Indonesia doesn't import meat but live animals, due to their religious procedures. One way to

improve meat quality is to have proper abattoir/butchering facilities/techniques and veterinary

inspection.

?Meat and slaughtering legislation is still to be approved by the Council of Ministers. There will be

definitions and criteria to establish abattoirs and slaughtering houses as well as selling meat (eg. 3

wheels vehicles equipped with cooling facilities, butcher shops).

Q.:

2. Papito Monteiro (IADE/MED)

?Establish legislation to sell meat with good quality and establish a steering committee to resolve

this issue.

?There should be information to show the difference between traditional methods and modern

techniques to raise cattle, based on weight rather than number of calves.

A.:Minister MED, Secretary of State for Livestock, J.C.Sequeira

?Legislation on abattoirs, slaughtering, and selling meat is to be approved by the Council of

Ministers. A steering committee is planned to be established, composed by: MED, Ministry of

Agriculture, BOSS and other stakeholders.

?To improve farmers' production, one of the solutions was to establish model farms and support

them and allocate scales to weigh cattle in collection points.

Q.:

?Maria Penha (Project Hamutuk, CCI)

?If TL imports 200 tons of meat, can this project support local products and can the Government put

meat import barriers?A.:Minister, J.C. Sequeira

?TL cannot put barriers to import products otherwise we could face the same barriers from the

export countries. We could only raise import taxes if we can produce meat with the same quality.

?One way to cut down meat import is to produce meat with hygienic standards and good quality.Q.:

3. Zeferino Tilman (Animal Health course coordinator, UNTL)

?The best cattle have been sold for fattening; the remaining cattle are loosing genetic quality.

?There should be studies on pastures, identifying the best food for cattle.

?There should be small difference of meat price/kilo at producer, compared to what the consumer

pays.

?Data on number of animals have to be uniform.

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A.:Minister, J.C.Sequeira

??The fattening program from CCT is not sustainable; they are facing difficulties obtaining calves.

Farmers prefer to sell adult bulls, rather than calves, for better profit. Breeding farms have been

planned by MAF and could select cattle to improve genetic qualities.

??There are studies on pastures and universities can take this task. Other solutions suggested:

training farmers on cattle feed, extensionists and VLWs role, model farms.

??The value chain map was shown again, to show how value chain develops and price has to be

different at farmers and consumers level.

??The data shown on the presentation was based on the National Census 2011 although we agree

that it may not be 100% correct as many farmers don't declare their animals and many cattle cross

the border through illegal trading.Q.:

4. Acio Pereira (VLW, Associacao de Agentes de Pecuaria)

?When can the project be implemented?

?Cattle need vaccination on time and in sufficient quantity.

?Medicines have to be allocated to districts.

A.: Secretary of State, J.C.Sequeira

?The next phase of the project is implementation. A working group will be established (MED, MAF,

BOSS and other stakeholders) and an action plan will be developed.

?Funds for vaccination have been cut this year to 50% compared to previous years. There are

difficulties with tendering process to acquire vaccines and medicines.Q.:

5. Cosme (Executive Director of IADE)

?How can the results of this research be applied to the private sector?

?In regards to private sector what can the project do?A.:J.C.Sequeira

?There are many opportunities for the private sector, from input suppliers up to retailers. Abattoir

and slaughtering places should be run by the private sector.

?The project through IADE can provide business management training to private sector.A.:

6. Vino Mousaco (CEO, CCI TL)

?According to BOSS presentation, Bobonaro and Lautem districts have highest number of beef cattle

and largest area of pastures, respectively, in TL. How many cattle can be raised in these 2 districts

and what is the impact on environment?A.:Secretary of State and J.C.Sequeira

?It is estimated that the current pastures in TL can raise 1 cattle/hectare. With improved pastures

and good pastures management can be 3-4 cattle/hectare.

?The number of cattle per hectare depends on the type of farm, intensive or semi intensive farms can

raise more cattle and the impact to environment in TL is minor compared to countries with large

number of cattle, like Australia. Some eenviromental benefits can be obtained with cattle farms, for

example, using cattle manure for biogas and fertilisers.

7. Catleen Goncalves (Vice-President, CCI TL)

?It is important to continue business training.

?Business women can contribute in this sector, especially in abattoir and slaughtering places and

meat processing.

?This research was very well presented and she congratulated the VC research team and opens an

opportunity to the private sector.

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The Minister of MED congratulated the VC research team for the work well done and the next step will be to

engage all the stakeholders especially MED, MAF-Livestock Secretariat of State, MTCI and Ministry of

Infrastructure. There will be a task force established, comprising MED, MAF and other institutions to continue

monitoring the implementation of the action plan. The project needs the support of the local authorities in the

districts. He thanked all the participants from the ministries, Irish Aid, district authorities, individuals and other

institutions, including the private sector.Many of the participants expressed positive opinions about the event, the result and the high commitment

from MED, the Secretary of State for Livestock, CCI-TL and district representatives.

By Jenny Ikelberg and Jose Carlos Sequeira - Dili 29 September, 2011

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ANNEX 2

TERMS OF REFERENCETASK FORCE FOR CATTLE SECTOR IN LAUTEM AND BOBONARO DISTRICTS

1. BACKGROUND In the national presentation of the result of the cattle value chain research organized by the Ministry of

thEconomy and Development on 26 September 2011, it was decided to establish a Steering Committee (MED, Secretary of State for Livestock, Director of DNDER, Chairs of DEF in Bobonaro and Lautem, BOSS project representatives) and a Task Force, to coordinate and implement the solutions found in the value chain research. This TOR sets out the role of the Task Force.

2. MEMBERS OF TASK FORCEMED-DNDER, MAF-Secretariat of State for Livestock (technical level), DEF's representative relevant to cattle sector, ACIAR representative, HIVOS, GIZ, BOSS

3. OVERALL OBJECTIVEEnhance the economic development of Bobonaro and Lautem districts through promoting and improving the competitiveness of the cattle sector

4. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES• To prioritise, agree on common action plan, prepare activity proposals, initiate and support the

implementation of the proposals as well as monitor and evaluate the progress of implementation. • To enhance the networking between relevant stakeholders in the cattle sector, and the dialogue

between public and private sector representatives

5. MAIN FUNCTIONS• To coordinate, plan and monitor activities in the cattle sector to avoid duplication of programs • Contribute to prioritise issues that need to be addressed in the cattle sector and provide guidance

on which issues particular stakeholder could address• Facilitate the sharing of and access to resources and experience among stakeholders• Help identify real needs of cattle sector stakeholders and solve problems that arise in the

implementation of cattle sector development activities• Report back on the result of implementation of activities, bring issues that need to be addressed at

the national level to that level • Report to Steering Committee on cattle sector development activities every 3 months

6. PRACTICALITIES• The Task Force does not replace any existing organisations, group or market functions in general• It should be set up with a temporary timeframe, for one year – to facilitate the implementation

process. • If the group and sector members find the group useful, then it should be allowed to continue. • The task force will meet on monthly basis

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7. THE SECRETARIAT Secretariat of the Task Force is appointed by the Director of DNDER. The main role of the Secretariat is to:

• Prepare the TF meetings: – invite the TF members – send out agenda – book venue – prepare documents, such as agenda, meeting minutes from last meeting and follow-up

documents • Takes notes during the meeting. • Support the appointed Coordinator before and during the meetings. The Secretariat and the

Coordinator should meet regularly outside the meetings to prepare and coordinate. • Follow-up on the decisions taken in the TF and assist the stakeholders in taking action. • Prepare the quarterly Steering Committee meeting;

– Invite the SC members– Send out agenda– Book venue– Write the minutes of the meeting– Follow up the decisions taken in the SC meeting

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NATIONAL DIRECTORATE OF RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Rua Sebastião da Costa, Vila-Verde, Dili, Timor-Leste

Tel.: + 670 333 1223, 333 1224

Ministry of Economy and Development